As the year winds down, you may find yourself making resolutions for 2025, and while it’s always good to have goals, it’s important to make time for fun and joy along the way! There’s plenty to look forward to in the coming year, and here are some of the best things that will be happening during January, so you can start 2025 off on the right foot.
1. Experience HERstory at SIX the Musical
SIX the Musical will have you losing your head in Brisbane from January 2! With 35 major international awards — including two Tony Awards — the 80-minute show has truly rewritten Tudor history.
Featuring Kimberley Hodgson as the sassy Catherine of Aragon, Deirdre Khoo as the rebellious Anne Boleyn, Loren Hunter as the loyal Jane Seymour, Zelia Rose Kitoko as independent Anna of Cleves, playful Katherine Howard will be played by Chelsea Dawson, and Giorgia Kennedy will embody the inspiring Catherine Parr.
📍QPAC, Corner Grey and Melbourne St, South Brisbane
2. Or fall in (summer) love with Grease
The stage and screen classic will be back from January 3 in an electrifying production that will have you Hopelessly Devoted and singing along with all the era-defining hits of Grease.
Go back in time to a world of high school romance, slicked-back hair, leather jackets and unforgettable music!
📍QPAC, Corner Grey and Melbourne St, South Brisbane
3. Ace the summer at Brisbane International
With some of the world’s top players competing for the title, the Brisbane International is not to be missed from December 29 to January 5! Attendees will have the privilege of watching athletes as thrilling as Australian Open champion and US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, top 4 in the world Jessica Pegula, and others, such as three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Ajla Tomljanovic play at their best.
Show yourself some love and get your tickets now!
📍Queensland Tennis Centre, 190 King Arthur Terrace, Tennyson
4. Celebrate the Australian Open at Dendy Powerhouse
Dendy Powerhouse is offering the next best thing to witnessing the Australian Open Grand Finals in the flesh, that is, watching the screening live under the stars.
Best of all, you can sip on some Aperol as you watch and all $20 tickets include a beer or soft drink, a sausage from the sausage sizzle and a collectable Dendy tennis ball!
📍New Farm Park, New Farm
5. Find your next favourite read at Queensland’s biggest book fair
The Lifeline Bookfest is back in Brisbane from January 18 to 27, taking over the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. You’ll be spoilt for choice on a huge range of pre-loved books starting at $2.50. If you’re in need of a book haul, you might want to save it for this event. You never know what you might find this time around.
📍BCEC, Merivale St, South Brisbane
6. Marvel at The 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
The art world’s most anticipated exhibition series is back in QAGOMA for its eleventh chapter.
Seventy artists, collectives and projects from more than 30 countries showcasing the rapidly evolving artistic expression of Australia, Asia and the Pacific. Some countries will be represented for the first time, while First Nations, minority and diaspora cultures hold a central place in the exhibition, as ever. It’s free entry, so there’s no reason to miss out on it!
📍QAGOMA, Stanley Pl, South Brisbane
7. Elevate your wellness schedule with $25 bathhouse sessions
If you’re looking for ways to elevate your wellness schedule in 2024 — without breaking the bank — look no further than Vikasati. This Red Hill wellness club is home to both a well-stocked gym as well as a relaxing bathhouse aptly named The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary is decked out with both hot and cold magnesium plunge pools, a Finnish sauna, outdoor showers and ice baths (if you’re up for the chilly challenge). Each 90-minute session includes free use of the bathhouse facilities, which is a perfect amount of time to de-stress or recover from your gym training.
The weekly membership is just $29 per week and allows you to visit the bathhouse for a session once a week. It also gives you the option to hop in the infrared sauna for only $35.
📍15 Pinter Dr, Southport
8. Uncork the summer at Twilight in the Vines
Family-owned winery situated at picturesque Mount Cotton, Sirromet is once again hosting magical twilit nights in their vineyard. Let yourself get swept away by the enchanting surroundings and glowing lights as you’re brought a gourmet tray filled with locally sourced charcuterie paired with a Sirromet bottle of wine for you and your +1 to enjoy. Secure your spot here.
📍850-938 Mount Cotton Rd, Mount Cotton
9. See a glitzy cabaret show at The Pink Flamingo Spiegelclub
Five-star rated, four glitzy shows to choose from, seven performances a week, all under one luxurious roof. Inspired by the original 1920s Spiegeltent and the NYC Cabaret Club district, Pink Flamingo Spiegeland offers spectacular entertainment, and delicious food and beverages in its 360-seat Pavilion, so you won’t miss an instant of the action.
📍98 Bincote St, Hamilton
10. Get chills at a Candlelight Concert
Candlelight’s candle-music combo has enchanted Brisbane audiences since the captivating concerts first took to the stage. The memorable evenings have shone a new light on live performances, making classical music or music performed by classically-trained musicians more accessible and open to everybody than ever before.
Transforming unique and iconic venues, like Saint John’s Anglican Cathedral, across the city with a sea of candles, the evenings are perfect for romantic rendezvous, dates with mates and outings with your favourite friends, as well as, the ultimate treat to oneself because you really don’t need anyone else to experience an hour of beautiful live music. Get your tickets for upcoming concerts on Fever!
11. Skipper you and your mates down the Brisbane River on these BYO electric boats
GoBoat have become the easiest way for you and your friends to enjoy time on the water. The boats—constructed from fibreglass, which uses recycled PET bottles instead of virgin glass—are powered by an electric motor and have a top speed of seven kilometres per hour.
This means that you don’t need a license to skipper them and anyone over the age of eighteen can be captain for a day.
📍194 Breakfast Creek Rd, Newstead
12. Throwback to the 00s at the Sugababes world tour
It’s official: 00’s pop icons Sugababes will be spinning Brisbane Round Round on January 5. Following their much-anticipated performance at this year’s Beyond The Valley festival, the trio — featuring the original lineup of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhan Donaghy — will be lighting up Brissy with chart-topping hits such as Push the Button, About You Now, and Too Lost In You, among many others. Get your tickets here!
📍Fortitude Music Hall, 312-318 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley
13. Take a dip in these Brisbane swimming pools for just $2
If you’re looking for somewhere to go swimming this summer, but don’t want to leave Brisbane or go to Streets Beach, then look no further, because Brisbane City Council has once again launched $2 summer dips at their 22 public pools around the city.
Until February 29, entry prices will be slashed across Brisbane’s public swimming pools, from $6.40 per person to just $2.
READ MORE: These Brisbane Swimming Pools Are Dropping Their Entry Fees To $2 For Summer
14. Get a burger for only $8
Cheap, filling and delicious? New Year’s resolutions can wait when you get a deal as good as YOMG’s Tuesdays, when you can get a cheesy burger for only $8 online and in-store! While you’re there, make sure you check out their limited menu for temporary goodies you won’t want to miss!
15. Or satisfy your sweet tooth with a coffee-filled doughnut at Kenilworth Bakery
Thanks to its viral coffee doughnuts and 1kg doughnut challenge, Kenilworth Bakery has become a go-to spot on a day trip from Brisbane. After opening a second store in Mooloolaba back in 2022, the bakery has now expanded to Bribie Island with their third store, because when it comes to baked goods, more is more.
16. Take a dip at one of these magical swimming holes near Brisbane
Summer among us, and so is the humidity that comes with it. Just outside of the city, you’ll find some of the best swimming holes in Australia. These natural freshwater pools are filled up and ready for you to take a dip, and the hike to get to some of them will make them feel twice as refreshing!
SEE MORE: The best swimming holes near Brisbane
17. Meet adorable rescue deer at this sanctuary in Samford
Tucked away in a serene hideaway just thirty minutes north of Brisbane, Lyell Deer Sanctuary is the perfect spot to get up close and personal with adorable rescue deer of all sorts, from red and rusa to fallow deer.
The sanctuary, usually open to the public on weekends, is a family-run animal rescue service, home to not only deer but also goats, cows, chickens, guinea pigs, peacocks and more.
📍6 Lyell Ct, Mount Samson
18. Stop and smell the roses at Rearranged: Art of the Flower
A stunning flower exhibition has opened at the Museum of Brisbane, where you can take a look at a lush collection of paintings, textiles, sculptures, ceramics and new media from more than 20 established and emerging local artists.
It’s free entry too!
📍Level 3, Brisbane City Hall, King George Square, Brisbane CBD
19. Make believe at HOTA’s Magic + Memory: make me a home
Playing house is a rite of passage and thanks to Anna Carey’s Magic + Memory: make me a home, kids can now do so in actual miniature models of houses and the rooms inside them. The oversized models, created for play and daydreams, will have young ones’ imaginations flying, and will make for memorable moments of fun and creativity until April 25. Entry is free!
📍HOTA, 135 Bundall Rd, Surfers Paradise
20. Rent your own private swimming pool
No pool? No worries. Just borrow one from a stranger for a few hours. There’s a genius new way to beat the heat and it won’t burn a hole in your pocket. There’s an Airbnb-style concept in the market called Swimply but exclusively for pools and it’s giving everyone a chance to get in on the fun. Pool owners can rent out their pools and those who want to splash around in a pool for a day can rent one for surprisingly low costs.
21. Hop on board at Day Out With Thomas: The Bubble Tour
Immerse yourself and the little ones in a day of entertainment galore at this Thomas the Tank Engine experience in Ipswich, which is jam-packed with a bubble wonderland, face painting, character meetups, arts and crafts, intriguing trails, movies, and more! Find all the info here.
📍North Street, North Ipswich